No Man's Sky is getting yet another game-changing free update from the industrious folks at Hello Games. Named Worlds Part I, this update, available for all players today, is the largest to hit the game this year so far, making some sweeping improvements that essentially make the universe even more varied and interesting than ever.

Water has seen significant improvements, for example. New tech means it can generate waves and reflections, and ships will now be able to land on water, allowing you to explore more of ocean planets. Waves are dynamic, and react to weather and wind patterns on each world. New volumetric and atmospheric effects mean more varied conditions, including fog, blizzards, sandstorms, and more. Similarly, clouds have been upgraded too. Skies are more varied as a result of all this new weather tech. The update also adds new varieties of alien flora and fauna to the mix.

A new Starship Troopers-inspired expedition puts the emphasis on combat as you fight back against alien bugs. Also mentioned in the press release is a new mech "with heavy armour and a cool flamethrower arm", which is hard to dislike.

There's plenty more too — improved shadows, the ability to rename discoveries, walker battles, and solar ship crafting are also mentioned in the above trailer, while Sean Murray hosts a longer video on the update in a deep dive:

For the full patch notes on Worlds Part I, follow the link.

We probably say it every time, but it's incredible to see how much No Man's Sky has grown and evolved since its launch way back in 2016. Given the name of this update is "Part I", we can only assume there's more to come, too.

Are you excited to check out this new update? Tell us in the comments section below.